Message from Mr Williams, Head
Dear Families,
Half-term is here. I hope that you, your children and families manage to have some rest and relaxation over the next two weeks. It has been an action-packed 7 weeks since the start of the year and the children have been brilliant – from attending sporting fixtures and bringing back medals, to bravely trying new things on trips and visits, to giving it their all in the classroom. In Year 13 the students have been applying to universities across the world, whilst in Year 5 the children have been talking to marine biologists in Vancouver as part of their topic on oceans.
After the holiday, there will be a number of parent evenings.
We have decided to move away from the Zoom video conference platform (due to technical and cost issues) and have moved to a platform designed specifically for online parent evenings and events. This new system will simplify the organisation and administration of such events and promises to be easy for all to use. The only key difference that you need to be aware of is that each meeting is strictly time-limited and, once the allotted time has finished, the call will end. Neither parents nor teachers can override this feature, so please be warned! If you need longer with a teacher, you can, of course, book a follow-up meeting either during your initial call or afterward by email. Further details will be sent in advance of parents evenings for each year group but, for now, please save these dates:
– All Primary: Monday 6, Tuesday 7 and Thursday 9 November
– Year 7: Thursday 2 November
– Year 8: Thursday 1 February 2024
– Year 9: Thursday 15 February 2024
– Year 10: Thursday 16 November
– Year 12: Thursday 29 February 2024
Sadly, due to lack of demand, we have decided to stop offering holiday camps for the rest of this academic year (including summer). We will review our camp programme and come back to you with news about potential future activities when we can.
Please remember that the following events are taking place straight after the holiday:
– Tuesday 31 October: Halloween celebrations
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- Primary dress-up day and bake sale
- Secondary lunchtime disco and bake sale
– Thursday 2 November 8:45-12:00: Whole-school cross country
We are looking forward to bringing the whole school together again this year for a morning of fantastic fun and races.
– Wednesday 1, Thursday 2 and Friday 3 November: Primary Book Looks and Coffee Mornings
Please refer to Ms Parker’s letter (sent today) for all details and exact timings.
Have a great half-term holiday; we’ll look forward to seeing your children again on Monday 30 October and to hearing stories of what they got up to during their break!
Matt Williams
Head
Students' contribution
Joan's Geography Lesson
Yesterday, 6B was transported to the heart of Tanzania, all thanks to Joan’s captivating lesson.
Joan took over the role of teacher to deliver a lesson as part of our Geography topic: Amazing Africa.
Having lived in Tanzania for nine years, Joan shared not just facts but personal stories, experiences, and the vibrant culture of the land. Her deep connection to the country was evident in every story she shared, making the lesson truly unforgettable.
It’s moments like these that remind us of the richness and diversity of our GES community. Joan, thank you for taking us on this incredible journey!
En direct de l'Atelier des Chefs à Lyon
Ces trois derniers jours, on a fait beaucoup de choses autour de Lyon et on a beaucoup marché! La ville est très belle, surtout grâce au soleil qui brillait tout au long de notre séjour.
Pour nous, il y avait plusieurs points forts:
– l’atelier des chefs nous a appris à cuisiner, à faire des desserts. Le chef était super gentil et nous a donné plein d’astuces.
– pendant notre temps libre, nous sommes allés au musée de l’Illusion qui était vraiment excellent.
– en plus, l’hôtel était vraiment bien. Il y avait beaucoup de choses à faire et c’était très grand.
– le parc de la tête d’or était extraordinaire avec le zoo où on a vu les girafes et d’autres animaux.
Le voyage a été in-croy-able. Merci à tous les profs qui l’avaient organisé.
Notre partie préférée était l’atelier des chefs car les repas étaient intéressants mais aussi délicieux – cela nous a fait découvrir des cuisines différentes.
Nous avons aimé aussi l’hôtel qui était très moderne et chic – le petit déjeuner était super avec beaucoup de choix. Il y avait plein d’endroits où se relaxer à la fin de la journée bien chargée.
Il y avait aussi beaucoup d’activités pendant la journée comme le cinéma et la balade en bateau qui nous a permis d’explorer davantage la ville, sans avoir à marcher!
Sport and Extra-Curricular
Netball and Football Tournaments
Congratulations to the U11 girls on a fantastic day of netball at the MLS tournament in Montreux on Wednesday.
Wins against Haut Lac, St George’s and La Côte mean the girls came home with yet another trophy 🏆 But more importantly the smiles and spirit in which the games were played shone through with GES leading the way!
MLS is a group of similar sized schools based in the mountains and lake Geneva area and brings a new format of competition to complement the SGIS competitions GES already attends.
Congratulations to the Cat D boys and girls teams that participated in the St. Georges Football Tournament on Thursday. Despite having a young team, the GES boys secured an impressive 3rd place out of 5 competing schools.
The girls spent a delightful afternoon collaborating, exemplifying sportsmanship and camaraderie. Well done to all players, especially to Zoé, the girls’ team goalkeeper, for her exceptional saves. Well done, everyone!
Halloween Celebrations - Tuesday 31 October
GES Primary
All Primary children are more than welcome to come to school in Halloween costumes if they wish to.
The Parent Reps will be running a Spooky Bake Sale at breaktime so please send your child(ren) to school with 2 CHF (we cannot accept Euros) in a named envelope if you would like them to have a treat.
GES Secondary
On Tuesday 31 October there will be a Halloween party held at lunch break in Chaplin so students should bring costumes and treats (recommended but not mandatory). No knives, guns, axes or fancy-dress weapons of any kind, please.
From Matt Marshall, on behalf of the Secondary Student Council
Request for help
Don du Choeur Sneakers Collection
Just like last year, the Don du Choeur was contacted by the Vestiaire Social de Genève, which is again concerned about the lack of shoes and trainers to be provided to children and teenagers from underprivileged families.
The charity is therefore organising a sneaker collection in all local schools.
If you have a good pair of shoes at home that your child is no longer wearing, we would be grateful if you could tie the laces together and bring them to school at morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up by Monday 30 October (straight after half-term).
Christmas Gift Boxes Appeal
“One more box, one more happy child.”
Once again this year, GES will be taking part in the Christmas Gift Box appeal.
The Gift Box Project is a humanitarian project that for over 27 years has helped children in Eastern Europe. This year their needs are greater than ever. Especially in Moldova and war-torn Ukraine, many children are hopeful someone will help them.
Gift boxes are filled with school supplies, toiletries, sweets, chocolate, biscuits, toys and warm scarves, gloves or hats etc. It does not sound much, but such a box will make a big difference to a child who has very little.
Your boxes can be dropped off from Monday 6 to Wednesday 22 November at the Primary Gym or Secondary Reception.
Please click on the link here for more details on the project and read the instructions on how to wrap your gift box.
Many thanks for your support.
From the School Office
During the holiday, the School Offices will remain open from Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 15:00, and emails will be checked regularly.
On Sunday 29 October, please remember to turn your clocks back 1 hour (at 3:00 am it will be 2:00 am, which means one additional hour of sleep).
We wish you all a nice and relaxing break.
